Episode 261
Introduction The aftermath of the revolt. Will Maizo and Suzuran finally meet? Plot Tsukuyo and Nobume watch as the Tendoushuu arrive and Sada Sada gleefully retorts that their revolt will be crushed. A Tendoushuu member leaves the ship, commands that his group will take over and states that he will take Sada Sada. He is about to inform the women of their punishment of starting the rebellion but is interrupted by the arrival of Shige Shige. The Shogun tells the Amanto that this incident didn't involve them but the member replies that the gentle shogun may not have the will to punish those who rebelled against him. Shige Shige answers that the "traitors" did no such thing; he understood what they strive to protect: neither the corrupt laws nor the "shogun" but their convictions and souls. If he punished them for that, then he must do the same to the nation's police whom he ordered to aim their weapons at himself. If he did so, than Japan will fall apart. At the same time, outside on the roof, Shinpachi and Kagura rush to the injured Gintoki's side. Shige Shige reiterates that the five did nothing wrong and that the fault lies on the unworthy Tokugawa family who rules them. He tells Sada Sada he is prepared to fall with his uncle, blaming himself for failing to stop him and gives his uncle a resignation letter. He tells the Tendoushuu member to leave as this is Samurai Country. Some time later in a hospital, a Hitotsubashi faction member congratulates a resting Isaburo for continuing his mission while injured and earning praise from its leader, Nobu Nobu. The faction's biggest obstacle to the Shogun title, Sada Sada, is now in jail awaiting trial for his crimes, with the biggest surprise being that his nephew resigning as shogun to defeat him. With these events, Nobu Nobu will become the next shogun with ease. Isaburo chastises the man for talking out loud in the government hospital as there could be a chance of someone overhearing. Said someones, Kondou and Hijikata, arrive behind the man and scare him into leaving. The duo confronts the future police commissioner on orchestrating Sada Sada's fall and, more importantly, Shige Shige's resignation just to further his faction's goals. Isaburo denies this, even admitting that he would have never predicted these series of events. He muses on how both Shige Shige and the Shinsengumi's actions were all influenced by the wild card named Sakata Gintoki and hopes that Nobume wasn't also influenced by him. Although Isaburo works with the Hitotsubashi, he doesn't believe in the same ideals (to make Japan a superpower) as its leader. He then adds that the two men should watch Sada Sada as he just received word that Oboro's body has disappeared. In their spaceship, the Tendoushuu mock Sada Sada for being blinded by his ego to not see his downfall, along with allowing the Hitotsubashi faction to gain standing, declaring him a useless puppet. The alive Oboro arrives and tells them that Sada Sada, the figurehead of the Joui suppression, was bait to draw the Tendoushuu's true enemies, which included the one who beat him. In jail, Sada Sada sees a trio of Naraku appear before him and in the belief that they will take him to the Tendoushuu, declares that no one will judge him. That is until one of them stabs him. The stabber, Takasugi, declares that he will judge him along with the rest of the world before killing him. Hijikata, Kondou, and separately, Oboro, arrive just in time to see his corpse. Oboro finishes his statement by stating their true enemies are Shouyou's students. Nobume appears behind him to mock him for his failure. Oboro reveals that Nobume was an ex-Naraku named Mukuro who was an assassin prodigy and laments that she was now working for one of Shouyou's students against the heavens (Tendoushuu). She admits that she was following Isaburo's lead and Oboro responds that the next time they meet, one of them will die. Before Nobume leaves, the Naraku leader asks if Takasugi and Gintoki are like their teacher. She replies the negative; one tries to protect Shouyou's legacy (Gintoki) while the other tries to destroy it (Takasugi) but they both have sad eyes. The next day, Okita tells Gintoki and Tsukuyo about Sada Sada's assassination and how the police were ordered to not investigate it. The Shinsengumi captain believes that the Tendoushuu were still trying to get the ex-shogun and the hit was made by the Hitotsubashi faction as a declaration of war against them. As such, the Amanto group decided to reject Shige Shige's resignation to make sure the HItotsubashi stay in their place. Unfortunately, with the shogunate in a mess, the palace is under martial law so the still weakened Maizo will be unable to meet with Suzuran. To make matters worse, later that night, Hinowa and Tsukuyo learn that the sickly Suzuran won't make it past the night. Hinowa tells the embarrassed Tsukuyo that she was aware of what happened a few days ago and Tsukuyo's and Gintoki's involvement. Suzuran suddenly asks Hinowa to put on her make up as it is time for the promise to be fulfilled. At the same time in the palace, Maizo tries to sneak out but is caught by Isaburo who asks him to go back to his room. Maizo refuses, thankful for Gintoki and his friends' help in being able to keep his promise. When Suzuran's makeup is finished, Tsukuyo hesitates to put on the elderly woman's kimono, she asks about the courtesan enforcer's pact with a certain man and states that said man will keep that promise (to get Suzuran and Maizo to meet again). In the palace, Isaburo is surprised to see the Yorozuya somehow in his room, Gintoki stepping on a can. Gintoki declares its time to play kick the can and the Shinsengumi, Shige Shige, and Soyo rush to participate. Shige Shige decides that Maizo should be It, and Isaburo chastises the group for disobeying the martial law on the palace... just to see his second in command kick the can and declare that it is heading towards Yoshiwara and the group leaves to hide. Maizo rushes towards the meeting place in Yoshiwara that has now become a telephone pole in an alleyway and sees the dressed Suzuran waiting there. The two are happy to finally meet and imagined themselves as they were decades ago under the 'sakura tree'. The two happily proclaim their love and Suzuran dies. Characters * Tendoshu * Tenshouin Naraku ** Oboro * Mimawarigumi ** Sasaki Isaburo ** Imai Nobume * Shinsengumi ** Kondou Isao ** Hijikata Toushirou ** Okita Sougo * Matsudaira Katakuriko (cameo) * Tokugawa Shige Shige * Tokugawa Sada Sada * Tokugawa Soyo * Tsukuyo * Shimura Shinpachi * Kagura * Sakata Gintoki * Rotten Maizou * Suzuran * Hinowa * Takasugi Shinsuke Trivia Category:Episodes